An exploration of scale, limits, and care—featuring our new essay “By All Measures” and this week’s Top 5 reads.
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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Tara Roberts, Casey Cep, Benjamin Cassidy, David Alm, and Lacy Warner.
By All Measures
Our problems are too vast, our distance from them too great. How do we navigate our derangement of scale?
Best of 2023: All of Our Number One Story Picks
Every piece we selected as our top story of the week in 2023, all in one place.
Best of 2024: All Our Number Five Story Picks
Every story that appeared in the number five slot in our Weekly Top 5, all in one place.
Longreads Best of 2020: Arts and Culture
Our top editors’ picks in arts and culture writing this year.
A Genre of Myths: A Jazz Reading List
Created in New Orleans and played around the world, the music we call jazz is filled with genius, legend, and tragedy.
The Poke Paradox
Where culinary bliss meets environmental peril, and how to solve America’s poke problem.
Shelved: The Misfits’ 12 Hits From Hell
For a bunch of rock ‘n’ rollers creating the horror punk genre, the Misfits sure were sensitive.
Guns and Marriage
Simone Gorrindo struggles to make peace with the violence that puts food on her table.


